A 2007 television appearance by the mother of former Sen. Pete Domenici’s (R-NM) out-of-wedlock son was unearthed Wednesday by The Atlantic Wire, providing cryptic clues about the previously undisclosed relationship.
Domenici admitted Tuesday to fathering a son outside his marriage more than 30 years ago with Republican strategist Michelle Laxalt, the daughter of former U.S. senator and Nevada governor Paul Laxalt. In a March 29, 2007 appearance on CNN’s now-defunct “Larry King Live,” Michelle Laxalt praised the former six-term senator — facing accusations at the time of having a role in the Bush administration’s politically motivated firing of several U.S. attorneys — and said he was “supporting no fewer than eight children,” a vague remark that is telling only in light of this week’s bombshell revelation.
Here’s the transcript of Laxalt’s appearance, courtesy of The Atlatnic Wire:
MICHELLE LAXALT, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, first, I couldn’t disagree with [Iglesias] when he levels accusations at the senator who put his name forward to become a U.S. attorney, which is not an elected position. That is an appointed position and those names are submitted to the White House by the delegations of the party who are in power…
Senator Pete Domenici is a totally honorable man and anyone who knows him knows that he…
KING: But…
LAXALT: … he never says good-bye on a phone call.
KING: But he says that —
LAXALT: I’ve only known him 30 years.
KING: I know. But he says they were investigating a Democrat, they hadn’t indicted him, they asked to indicted him, they didn’t indict him and now they indict him.
LAXALT: Meaning?
KING: Doesn’t that look a little funny?
If it looks like a duck and acts like a duck, it might be a duck?
LAXALT: I don’t think so. I think when you’re — when you’re attacking the integrity of someone who has been in public service for his entire lifetime, at great sacrifice, supporting no fewer than eight children and with the many sacrifices and the many contributions Senator Domenici has made, not only to the country, but to New…
KING: But it…
LAXALT: … the state of New Mexico, I don’t think one political appointee who has a chip on his shoulder because he was asked to leave a position that he wasn’t offered permanency in to begin with, should ever…
KING: All right…
LAXALT: … take a crack at the integrity of Pete Domenici…
KING: Arianna, do you question the fact that that this man that he just told us he was investigating but had not indicted is suddenly indicted after he leaves?
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, FOUNDER/EDITOR, HUFFINGTONPOST.COM: Well, first of all, in answer to Michelle, nobody is questioning Pete Domenici as a father or his contributions to New Mexico.
